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Scientists band together for better funds

Katina Curtis

Scientists and research organisations have warned of a dire future if politicians don't take a bipartisan and strategic approach to funding research.

Nobel prize winner Brian Schmidt said his own discipline of optical astronomy would be driven "into the abyss" by 2015 if changes were not made.

"I do not want just a band aid because I'm a Nobel prize winner for astronomy," he told researchers, politicians and reporters in Canberra on Monday.

"I want a landscape where strategic decisions are made in this country rather than things just happening."

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Professor Schmidt cited several other specific examples of how a non-strategic approach to funding, especially for infrastructure, was hindering Australia's research capacity.

Australian research bodies joined for the first time on Monday to sign a plea for politicians to stick to six fundamental principles for a committed, strategic approach to research.

"Our scientific future is too important to be sacrificed to party policy," Robert Williamson from the Australian Academy of Science said.

If the principles were implemented, Australia would continue to be an intellectual powerhouse in the world and the economic rewards would be great.

Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson said the current approach was fragmented and inefficient, funding was stop-start and it added up to an insecure environment for the best and brightest researchers.

Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes president Brendan Crabb said because scientific discovery took time, year-by-year funding didn't give any sense of security.

The process led to researchers spending more time applying for funding than carrying out research, he said.

"There is a break point where things just seem too uncertain and too hard," Professor Crabb said.

"There's a real fear that we're entering a phase where there's a crisis of confidence amongst researchers, particularly the emerging research workforce, our young people."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the coalition had long-term, stable policies that would let Australia's scientists and researchers excel in their work.